Farmer1906 said:

---

Ag_07 said:

---

I don't think that he'll never pitch again.

I do think that he won't ever be healthy for a prolonged stint.

Yeah we know pitchers are injured often but c'mon. You can't compare JV to Lance. JV has been a workhorse his entire career, is a future first ballot HOFer, and is 43 years old. So yes...In my book he does get a pass.

Until Lance can come back and stay back I expect to see him bounce on and off the IL and as such his contributions to be limited. That's just how it is with him.

---

deGrom was a work horse until he wasn't. Same with Sale, Kershaw. Even workhorses get injured too.

---

LMJ isn't those guys. He was always injury prone and always will be

Unless his mechanics change he may not even be in the league for long

We will see how he is when he returns but I'm not optimistic for much. He's probably better coming out of the pen

In this day and age, I don't see how you can justify long term contracts for pitchers. However, I also don't think you can justify drafting pitchers (specifically high school pitchers) early in the draft with their low hit rate. You are screwed either way basically.

I do find it interesting that the three guys we have on our roster that have had no significant injury their entire careers (Framber, Javier, Blanco) were late bloomer types that weren't pitching competitively until their late teens or even 20.

MaxPower said:

---

In this day and age, I don't see how you can justify long term contracts for pitchers. However, I also don't think you can justify drafting pitchers (specifically high school pitchers) early in the draft with their low hit rate. You are screwed either way basically.

I do find it interesting that the three guys we have on our roster that have had no significant injury their entire careers (Framber, Javier, Blanco) were late bloomer types that weren't pitching competitively until their late teens or even 20.

---

Good post. I've mentioned this before but Passan, despite normally sucking, wrote a great book called The Arm long before the pitch clock was a thing. It identified max effort/spin and, more notably, youth specialization and year-round throwing as primary culprit candidates for all the injuries.

Pitching is just an unnatural motion, and I think each UCL only has so many pitches in it in a lifetime. Particularly at max effort. Unless you're a rare freak like Nolan, and most people, even great pitchers, are not.

Agree to disagree. Like I said, this is coming straight from the clubhouse. I have no reason to believe they would make stuff up. But maybe you're right and they're just BSing me. But if they say it's a problem, I believe them.

EastCoastAgNc said:

---

Joey Loperfido has been named the PCL Player of the Week for the weeK. He hit safely in all six games during the week in Albuquerque, going 11-for-26 in 34 plate appearances and slashed .423/.559/1.077/1.636 with two doubles, five home runs, 13 RBIs, 14 runs scored @ six walks

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) April 15, 2024

---

Great for him. In my opinion, he still needs to see a large chunk of AAA pitching to see if he can get the K numbers down. He's K-ing at a significantly higher rate versus AAA pitching than anything else he has seen before.

I want to see if he can adjust to a higher level pitching before facing the big boys. The last thing I want for that dude is to come up, hit .200 with a 40% K-rate.

W said:

---

the Braves are starting a guy tonight named Darius Vines

apparently his change-up is his best pitch

---

Based on his 20 IP last year:

Cutter - 4seam - Change Up pitch mix (occasional slider).

The cutter was the most effective.

Not much velo or velo change. All his pitches were in the 80s.

Really weird, but somehow got fairly soft contact in his limited stint.

Is Darius Vine just some other multiverse's version of Dave Veres?

ttha_aggie_09 said:

---

Quote:

---

The last thing I want for that dude is to come up, hit .200 with a 40% K-rate

---

The last thing you want is for him to be Jose Abreu?

---

Jose Abreu is a seasoned vet. Loperfido is not. He hasn't even faced AAA pitching for a full year yet.

Bregman had near 300 PAs in AAA. Loperfido is at 208.

I used the smiley face emoji for a reason

Four of the Astros' injured pitchers — Luis Garcia, Lance McCullers Jr., Penn Murfee and José Urquidy — are playing catch at Minute Maid Park right now. Framber Valdez said he's supposed to do so tomorrow.

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) April 15, 2024

Red Five said:

---

Beat40 said:

---

EastCoastAgNc said:

---

Joey Loperfido has been named the PCL Player of the Week for the weeK. He hit safely in all six games during the week in Albuquerque, going 11-for-26 in 34 plate appearances and slashed .423/.559/1.077/1.636 with two doubles, five home runs, 13 RBIs, 14 runs scored @ six walks

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) April 15, 2024

---

Great for him. In my opinion, he still needs to see a large chunk of AAA pitching to see if he can get the K numbers down. He's K-ing at a significantly higher rate versus AAA pitching than anything else he has seen before.

I want to see if he can adjust to a higher level pitching before facing the big boys. The last thing I want for that dude is to come up, hit .200 with a 40% K-rate.

---

The last 2 seasons Kyle Schwarber has struck out 30% of the time, hit .200, and averaged 46 HR / 100 RBI / 120+ WRC+. I'm not saying Schwarber is an MVP, but imagine getting that production from 1B last year. Quality of contact can absolutely make up for frequency of contact (or lack thereof).

---

That production is fine, but the guy hasn't even had a chance to go through a slump against AAA pitching yet. His K-rate jumped up nearly 10% going from AA to AAA.

Me using 40% was maybe generous.

I honestly don't know what pitches he's crushing, but if it's mostly fastballs or hanging off-speed, it's reasonable to assume he's not going to get the opportunity to crush a ton of those pitches at the MLB level, especially after a couple of months if he proves he can smack the fastball around.

ttha_aggie_09 said:

---

I used the smiley face emoji for a reason

---

Understood.

Just think there are a lot here who don't think the two overall outcomes, if Loperfido were to perform at the exact same level as Abreu, means anything.

Those two players are in vastly different portions of their careers, and people need to realize that.

I think Espada will keep breggy at 4 and move Yainer down. I imagine he thinks breggy will hit his way out of the slump he's in

I actually like Abreu 8th better. I like having speed in the 9-hole.

Edit: Well I'm stupid and didn't click the whole pic

EastCoastAgNc said:

---

José Abreu is out to take early batting practice today at Minute Maid Park. Astros senior advisor to ownership and baseball operations Jeff Bagwell is standing on the batting cage watching.

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) April 15, 2024

---

I have so many jokes right now my head is exploding.

I actually feel a little better about Bregman after a few days off.

agproducer said:

---

W said:

---

the Braves are starting a guy tonight named Darius Vines

apparently his change-up is his best pitch

---

Abreu will be able to catch up!

---

yes, Abreu has a chance against low velocity

against high velocity...bench or pinch-hitter

Mathguy64 said:

---

The Porkchop Express said:

---

EastCoastAgNc said:

---

José Abreu is out to take early batting practice today at Minute Maid Park. Astros senior advisor to ownership and baseball operations Jeff Bagwell is standing on the batting cage watching.

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) April 15, 2024

---

I have so many jokes right now my head is exploding.

---

Bagwell: "Jose! You need to squat more! Bend those knees!"

---

NO ! NEVER ALTER YOUR STANCE! YOU ARE UNSTOPPABLE!